The Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Honourable Adegboyega Oyetola (CON), for his decisive pronouncement banning wooden boats from Nigerian waterways.
This , the union says addresses the incessant accidents that claim numerous passenger lives each year.
The Minister expressed fury over the issue, attributing it to negligence, carelessness, and disregard for federal safety regulations.
It would be recalled that government agencies have repeatedly warned boat operators and passengers: no water travel after 6:00 PM, all passengers must wear lifebuoys, and boats must not be overloaded.
These straightforward rules are routinely ignored by both drivers and passengers, fueling the safety crisis on the waterways.
Comrade Bunu, labour activist and foremost maritime labour leader in Nigeria, described the Minister’s action as timely and essential to halt these preventable deaths stemming from non-compliance.
The PG said “Water transportation could be the safest, fastest, and most enjoyable alternative to road traffic if precautionary measures were followed,” Instead, reckless operators and drivers flout the law—operating at night without life jackets, using dilapidated, rickety wooden boats unfit for service causing immeasurable pain to victims’ families.
Bunu urged the federal government to pursue comprehensive solutions beyond wooden boats, targeting fibre boats that speed excessively and contribute to accidents.
He noted that regulators must enforce strict checks: whilst erring drivers and boat owners should face appropriate sanctions to ensure safe, decent waterway transport for all.
